The Key To My Heart
by Zett
Summary: Cell has escaped from the HFIL and has sworn revenge against Gohan and Earth. But interesting circumstances accompany his return, and when a woman intereferes with his plans, things get complicated. Will these new problems prove to save Earth a 2nd time?
1. Reunited

Author's Note – Hey guys! Booyah! Here it is, the first Chap of my Cell fic! Hehehe! I hope you all like it! Cell's always been my fav character, and I've always wanted to do a cool fic like this about him. Oh, and just to warn you, my fic does not conform to the actual history of the Saiyans, I'll explain more later. So, here's the intro, see what you think! And if you like it, please review! Thanks a bunch, and enjoy!

Disclaimer – I do not own DBZ, I just think it totally kicks ass.

Dragon Ball Z – The Key To My Heart

Chapter 1 – Reunited  

          _So this is Earth huh? _A female figure stood, carefully examining the surroundings. It was late in the evening, and the moon was shining brightly amidst the cloud deficient sky. However, she took no heed to the beautiful starry view. She had work to do, was on a mission, and this would hopefully be the last stop she would have to make to find what she was looking for. She was clad in a tight black body suit that hugged at her curved body, and on top of that, protective white armor, famous of her race. On her hands she wore white gloves, and on her feet a pair of matching white boots. She frowned slightly, turning back and immersing herself into her small pod-like ship. She searched around for a short while, until she came back out with a small shoulder worn pack heavy with various devices and supplies. She carefully locked the door to her ship and looked at it pensively, as if not completely sure it would be there when she got back.  But she put those thoughts out of her mind and turned back to the problem at hand. 

          _I have to find him. I hate the fact, but I need his help. And he must be here. He HAS to be here. I refuse to believe I've spent all this time searching for nothing._ She frowned, placing a small device over one ear which had a small lens of blue tinted glass jutting out of one side that rested just in front of her left eye. She gently pressed a small button on one side and furrowed her eyebrows as readouts began flashing across the light blue screen. She slowly rotated in a circle, stopping suddenly as she noticed something. _That's it… _She smiled slowly, the manner of smile someone would wear after they had finished a hard job, or had finally discovered the answer to that one question that had been driving them mad for weeks. _It's him._

          "Onna!!!!" Vegeta hollered angrily, shaking the walls as he threw open the large metal door to the gravity room, his loud voice rumbling down the hallway. In the other room, Bulma looked up in irritation from a new motorized hover bike she had been diligently working on for the last few weeks and rolled her eyes. She turned in the direction of the call, not completely certain if she should dignify it with an answer. 

          "What the hell do you want Vegeta?" She demanded, making sure to coat her voice with as much annoyance as was possible. She hated it when he called her 'Onna'; it always made her feel like some sort of female slave to him. Yet she somehow managed to live with it, even though she often wondered. _How in the world do I put up with his bullshit all the time? Guess it's just because I love the stupid bastard, though Kami only knows why…_

Vegeta suddenly appeared at the door, pointing back to the training room he had just come storming from. Bulma made note that the vein on his forehead was bulging out again, as it often did when he over reacted about things. She stood up from her work and put her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at her seething husband.

          "That damn BAKA machine isn't working again!!!!" He exclaimed, clenching and unclenching his fists as he tried to explain. Bulma frowned at his voice volume, looking down the hallway and guessing he had probably already woken up their eight-year-old son.

          "Would you keep it down a bit? Trunks is trying to sleep!" She pointed up to the clock which read 10:30 P.M. Vegeta followed her gesture and tried to calm himself a bit before he started to speak again. "Alright, alright, just come fix it." He replied, dimming his voice to a reasonable level as Bulma threw off her gloves and walked towards him. She followed him back into the gravity room and hurried over to the main consol, looking it over with scrupulous thought and detail, until she finally found the problem, sighing heavily as she did so.

          "It's unplugged you idiot." She pointed out, grabbing the cable and reconnecting it with the socket on the floor power bar. Vegeta stood, blinking as she did so, feeling more than just a little dense. She walked by and shrugged, patting him on the back as she left. "Be sure to check that next time."

          "Well it's not like the stupid machine hasn't broken down before!" He called at her retreating back as she started to shut the door behind her. But before she did, she turned back and gave him a questioning look. 

          "Are you going to come to bed tonight, or stay up till 2 A.M. training again?" She asked curiously as she rested her hand on the heavy door. Vegeta had been doing that a lot lately, and with Trunks too whenever he could. He was bound and determined to train Trunks until he was stronger than Gohan, but Bulma didn't see how that was possible. Gohan WAS the strongest Z Fighter after all, and he had been the one who had defeated Cell. But of course, that was seven years ago, and Gohan hadn't been training much, if at all since then. What with Goku gone, about all that poor kid ever got to do was study. Chi Chi never had liked letting him fight, and had always insisted he stay home and do lessons instead. Bulma hoped for Goten's sake that Chi Chi wouldn't be as strict and over protective with him as she had been with his older brother…

          "Maybe." Vegeta answered, setting the training level on the machine, "It all depends on if I want to or not. But don't wait up for me." Bulma chuckled softly as he said this. "I never said I would." She replied impertinently as she walked out and shut the door behind her. She shook her head and placed a hand to her mouth as she yawned loudly, proceeding back to work on her bike for a short while longer before turning in to sleep. However, something happened then that she was definitely not expecting; there was a knock at the door.

          Bulma turned, a suspicious note to her gaze as she did so. _Who in the world could be calling at this hour? _She wondered as she walked towards the door in the front entranceway. She turned the knob and opened it to reveal a young woman, Bulma guessed early twenties, with long bright blue hair that fell loosely around her shoulders. She had deep, dark blue eyes, and was wearing something in front of one of them that Bulma found all too familiar; a scouter. That's when Bulma also noticed the tail around her waist, much in the same fashion as Vegeta had done when he had first arrived on the planet. _No way! _Bulma thought in disbelief, _She's a Saiyan!_

"Alright, where is he?" The woman asked in a soft yet forceful voice, looking around suspiciously into the house. Bulma frowned, raising an eyebrow at the question, almost willing to bet money that Vegeta was the one she was looking for…

          "Where's who?" She asked innocently, not quite wanting to give anything away yet. In almost all cases, Saiyans meant trouble, and Bulma was pretty sure that this Saiyan woman who had so suddenly shown up would be bringing some sort of problems with her. The woman let out a small breath and put her hands on her hips, glancing at Bulma with a tired look. "I know he's here." She replied calmly, seemingly knowing that Bulma knew exactly who she was talking about. She took a step inside and shut the door, looking around the vast room, which was full of different mechanical gadgets and projects. "Please, I have to see the prince."

          Bulma let out a small sigh, gesturing for the woman to follow her. "I knew you were looking for Vegeta. But hey, you seem nice. Please tell me you're not like most Saiyans…" 

          The woman stopped as she said this, a little surprised at her knowledge. _Vegeta must have told her about it… After all, it seems like he lives here, so perhaps this human is his friend. _"What do you mean?" She replied as they walked across the room and turned down a hall.

          "Oh, you know, arrogant, violent, a smart ass…" She explained, much to the amusement of the female Saiyan. "Well, it depends on what kind of mood I'm in I guess…" She replied with a small smile, "But I must say, those words you used definitely describe Vegeta." Bulma chuckled, nodding slightly, then turning back to the woman. 

          "I'm Bulma, by the way." She greeted, reaching out and shaking her hand. "Oh, how rude of me!" The woman exclaimed as she shook back, "And my name is Zett." Bulma nodded thoughtfully, reaching back in front of her and grasping the handle to the gravity room with a hand. "Pleased to meet you. Vegeta's not going to believe this you know, he'll be really shocked to see another Saiyan. Not many Saiyans are still alive right? Well, just say you're not here to talk about the possible destruction of the world or anything…" 

          Zett frowned sadly, both at the mention of the state of her dwindling race, and at the mention of destruction. "Well, not exactly, but I'm afraid I do have some rather dire news." She replied solemnly as they headed into the room. However, her mood changed instantly as she noticed Vegeta on the floor of the gravity room doing push-ups. She headed over to him, much to Bulma's bewilderment, not even seeming to notice the dramatic increase in gravity, which was so great that Bulma couldn't even follow her. Zett stopped a few feet in front of the Saiyan prince and shook her head smirking.

          "My goodness Vegeta. You haven't changed at all since the last time I saw you. You're even pretty much the same height…" She mused as she looked down at him. At the sound of her voice, Vegeta froze, slowly moving his head to gaze at her. For a few moments he simply laid there perfectly still, his jaw dropping slightly in his disbelief. 

          "It's, it's you!!" He gasped shakily, jumping up from the floor and starting to circle her as if he believed his eyes were playing tricks on him. Zett nodded, raising an eyebrow audaciously, characteristic of Saiyans, as she watched him. "Of course it's me. You know, it took me quite some time to track you down. But I finally managed. We need to talk." Vegeta stopped his inspection and leaned against the wall, holding his head with a hand. "But, but how? You're alive! How did you survive?" He questioned, still overcome with astonishment that she was really there. 

          "Come on, you know me better than that 'Veg'… And besides, I could ask you the same thing. We wondered about you, when you never came back. Thought you might have gone and gotten yourself killed. But then rumor had it you were alive, and well, here you are." She explained somewhat, making a lot more sense of course to Vegeta than to Bulma, who stood rather perplexed and confused, still in the doorway of the room.

          "Hey, I hate to interrupt, but I'm a little lost. Would someone please care to explain to me what this is all about?" Bulma pleaded, never liking to be left out of a conversation and in the dark as far as topic went. Vegeta shook his head, snapping out of his partially bewildered state and turning to her. "I'll explain later Bulma, would you excuse us for a moment?" 

          Bulma furrowed her eyebrows, not liking the matter, but deciding it best to do as Vegeta asked. She nodded, closing the door with a small thud as she exited. Zett listened as her footsteps receded down the hallway and turned back to Vegeta. "A friend?" 

          Vegeta laughed, one corner of his mouth pulling up slightly as he replied. "My wife." Zett nodded thoughtfully, sitting down on the edge of the machine and tossing her hair behind her with a hand. "So, you got too impatient for me huh?" She asked with a mock upset tone to her voice, quickly adding, "Well don't worry about it. I think I almost broke down into tears the day your father announced our arranged marriage. That or I wanted to blow something up." Vegeta bent down, grabbing a towel off the floor and dabbing his face with it. 

"Yes…" He began slowly, his voice holding a lot of suspicion, "But let's get right down to things. You didn't just come here to see me again, so I want to know; Why are you here?"


	2. Interesting News

Author's Note – Muwahaha! Here's Chapter 2! Sorry it took so long, lol, I promised myself only to write on this fic when I know I'll be able to do my best work, and I've had writer's block for a while… But here it finally is! And I'll try to keep getting more chaps out as soon as I can! And once again, for anyone who's seen the Bardock Special, my fic does not follow the history of the Saiyans according to that movie at all, you'll see what I mean. So anyway, here's the next chap! Enjoy! And if you do, please review!

Chapter 2 – Interesting News

          _It haunts me… Drives me mad. How could it be done? All those lives, tossed to the wayside. It must not go unpunished… We can fight back, if we work together. That was the reason for it. We were too strong. Vegeta had left the planet on some assignment, probably just shortly before he reached Earth. He must have been about 29 at that time, and I was 20. How lucky I was to have also been off planet. But my family, my friends, all gone. Just like that. I couldn't believe it when I found out… How something like that could take place. But now, we can avenge our people…_

Zett looked up suddenly from her deep state of troubled thoughts, nodding seriously. She stood, turning to face him with a solemn expression on her face, her fists clenched slightly. "I need your help Vegeta. Something happened, surely you must have felt it in some way, it was not the kind of thing that could go unnoticed. It-it's about our home planet." Vegeta raised an eyebrow as she said this, slinging his towel haphazardly over one shoulder. 

          "You mean how it no longer exists?" He asked calmly, her eyes widening as he expressed his knowledge of the situation. She nodded quickly, her eyebrows knitting together slightly. "Y-you know." She stated sadly, looking down towards her feet. She stared momentarily at the ground, then jerked her head back up quite suddenly, a look of anger and frustration in her eyes. "Well that's why I need your help! You, and Napa and Radditz too if they can. We're strong enough now… together, we can retaliate against Freiza and destroy him for what he did! We can take revenge for the deaths of our planet, our race! Please! Say you'll help me!" 

          Vegeta stood unmoving for a few minutes before breaking down into a fit of cynical laughter. Zett frowned in bemusement, unable to conceive how such a topic could be found the least bit humorous. "You think this is funny?!?" She demanded angrily, disbelief written across her face. Vegeta calmed himself, shaking his head as he replied. "Where have you been Onna? Freiza's dead!!" Zett rushed up to Vegeta, gripping his wrists tightly as she spoke. "How? When? Was it, was it you!?" 

          Vegeta shook his head and got a far off look on his face. "No it wasn't. It was that fool Kackarot! And also, my son." Zett put a hand to her head, feeling more than a little dizzy. She sat down with a thud on the padded floor and crossed her legs, slowly thinking things through. "Alright, and who is Kackarot? I've never heard of him, but that sure sounds like a Saiyan name." She contemplated, looking up at Vegeta. He nodded, and Zett noticed his hands tightening into fists. "Yes, Kackarot is a Saiyan. He's a low level solider, yet…extremely powerful. He almost destroyed Freiza, but my son finished the job." Zett knitted her brow and let herself lean back on her hands. Vegeta found himself turning somewhat red at the momentary struggle he had gone through to not look at her cleavage.

          "Wow, well, I guess that's great! Your son must be very powerful. Just like his father huh?" She added with a lopsided smirk. Vegeta simply rolled his eyes. "I, I'm really not sure what to say… I guess my mission's already been completed! So, maybe, if it's okay with you, I'll just hang out with you guys for a while. Hey, are Napa and Radditz living here too?" Vegeta shook his head emotionlessly and sat down beside her, resting against the gravity machine. "No, they're dead too." Zett's eyes widened. "Did they die fighting Freiza?" Vegeta coughed, almost choking on his impending laughter. "Hell no! Those two bakas were so weak they never would have stood a chance against Freiza! No, Radditz was killed by a Namek and Napa was killed by, myself." 

          "You, killed Napa? May I ask why?" Zett frowned with an eyebrow raised. Vegeta shrugged his shoulders. "Because he was a weak excuse for a fighter!" Zett let out a small breath. "Well that's nice. I guess I forgot about what a ruthless bastard you were." Vegeta chuckled softly. "Well I am Saiyan you know. Just because you didn't fit the 'asshole' image that the majority of our people did." Zett grinned and shook her head. "No, just the 'bad ass' one." "Either way," Vegeta explained, "I guess being on this planet has made me kind of soft. But you might as well stay if you want. There's a tournament coming up, and it would be interesting to see how long it would take me to beat you." 

          Zett couldn't help but laugh. "Man Veg, in a way, you haven't changed at all, but in another you really have." Vegeta nodded. "And what about you?" Zett looked down at her boots. "I don't know. Guess we'll have to find out." Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows and studied her for a moment. _She's grown even more incredibly beautiful then the last time I saw her… _"So do you mind?" "Huh?" Vegeta shook himself out of his daze and noticed the puzzled expression on her face. "You said about how I might as well stay, does that mean you're inviting me?" Vegeta got up and dusted his pants off, looking off towards the door. "Hmph. I suppose so. If you want. Bulma will get you a room. But if you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of training." Zett jumped to her feet and smirked, picking up the towel Vegeta had dropped beside him and throwing it at his face. "Alright, I'll let you get back to that then. Oh, and thanks." She tossed her hair behind her with a hand and walked to the door. 

          "Oh, and it's nice seeing you again Vegeta." Vegeta grunted and turned back to the gravity machine, waiting until he heard the door shut heavily on it's metal hinges and was sure she was out of the room. He let out a deep breath and shook his head, setting the gravity reading and throwing his towel to the side. He got down on his knees and resumed doing some one-handed push-ups. "What next…"

          "Thanks again Bulma, it's really nice of you guys to let me stay." Zett smiled, sitting down on the comfortable bed in one of the spare rooms. Bulma nodded, smiling back and placing some things into the dresser. "No problem! It's always nice to have another female around to talk to." She walked quietly to the door, turning back before she left. "Well, hope you find the room comfortable! Goodnight!" 

          "Goodnight!" Zett replied cheerfully as she exited the room. She let out a heavy sigh and let herself fall back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Now with all the news she had just learnt about, she really wasn't sure what she was going to do. She put her arms behind her head and turned to look out the window. _Well, guess for now I'll just hang around and compete in the tournament. That will probably be some fun. _She kicked off her boots and pulled off her gloves, pushing her head back into the pillow and drifting quickly off to sleep.

          "I've heard rumors… Rumors that you know a way to get out of here. And I suggest you tell me, unless you'd prefer being destroyed!" Cell demanded, griping the man tightly by the collar. The fighter looked surprisingly like Goku, except he had some bizarre abilities, and apparently a way to escape from the HFIL. The man put his hands out in front of him, nodding nervously. "Yes I do! But I'm afraid it comes at a bit of a cost." 

          Cell raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" He inquired as the man started to quickly explain. "Well, you see, there are dragon balls here in the other world realm too! But, if you're looking to wish yourself back to the North Quadrant, or any of the four for that matter, it comes with some side effects." Cell put the man slowly down and nodded. "Alright, and what would those be?" The man frowned and sighed regretfully. "Well, during the process, you get separated from your Ki abilities."

          Cell crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Well that's just fantastic!" He muttered sarcastically. "But don't worry!" The man continued hastily, "There is a way to get your powers back!" Cell smirked, his interest rising again. "Tell me." The man nodded. "Well, the dragon will lock your Ki in a small crystal like stone. If you can find it and break it open, your powers will return to you!" Cell glared at the man, still a little cautious about the whole idea. "And you know this how?" He demanded to know.

          "Well, I've tried it before. However, I was killed for the second time in a battle shortly after…" He looked down; upset by memories of whatever tragic combats he had been involved in. "The dragon balls are rather easy to find, they're all near the south corner. I hid them in a small abandoned pod." Cell grinned, turning to leave. But before he did, he turned back and nodded. "Thank you for co-operating. I guess I'll spare your life for now. But be warned, if this doesn't work, you had better find somewhere to hide, because I may just decide to get angry." 

          With that he took off into the air, heading towards the location of the dragon balls. If this worked, then maybe he would finally get his revenge on those Z Fighter fools for what they had done!

          Zett tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall back asleep. She had woken up quite some time ago, and seemed to be now stuck awake. She got up and walked to the window, leaning on the sill and looking out. The stars were bright in the sky, and everything was so quite and still. She sat back down on the bed, and sighed thoughtfully. She had this feeling, she wasn't sure what about yet, but it was some kind of premonition… Something was going to happen. 

          _Maybe just the tournament… _She thought to herself as she lay back down. _Maybe I'm just worried I won't be ready. I should start training again. _She decided, pulling the covers up around her and trying again to sleep.

          "It's about time!" Bulma declared as she was awoken by the sound of Vegeta walking into the room and closing the door. He walked past her and started changing out of his training Gi. "Look Onna, I told you I would probably be training late. Why do you sound so surprised?" Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Well I didn't think you'd be THIS late." She explained, shaking her head as he crawled into bed beside her.  "Well, I am this late, alright?" He snapped back, rolling over so that his back was facing her.

          "So, are you going to tell me exactly who Zett is? And how you two know each other?" Bulma asked after a few moments of silence from Vegeta. He turned back to look at her and frowned. "Can we not talk about this tomorrow??" He demanded angrily as she waited for an answer, "I want to sleep!" Bulma let out a tired breath and shrugged. 

          "Fine I guess, I was just curious. It's not every day another Saiyan appears at our door looking for you, you know." Vegeta nodded, putting his hands behind his head. "Yes, I know. And I'll explain things in the morning." Bulma let out a defeated sigh, turning onto her side as well. "Alright, fair enough." She replied, reaching out and turning off a small lamp near her bed. "We'll talk about it tomorrow then."

          Vegeta nodded, and let out a tired breath as he made himself comfortable. Things would definitely be interesting now with Zett around. Memories of his short time on the Saiyan planet began to return to him, as he thought about how he and Zett had met. She had been the daughter of a very powerful upper class Saiyan, and like Vegeta, had shown great potential as a fighter ever since a very young age. Vegeta's father, King Vegeta, had talked with her parents who had decided that the two would might make a good match when they got older, at least in fighting skills. But personality wise, that was quite a different story.

Zett wasn't like most Saiyans. She had always been more like, well, Kackarot was, in a way, not as ruthless and cruel as most Saiyans, including Vegeta. He was very interested to see how she would fight in the tournament. But that wasn't for, what, a month now? He'd just have to wait till then. Vegeta frowned, shifting his weight, and furrowing his eyebrows as Bulma, obviously asleep, began to snore beside him rather loudly. He shook his head and rolled over, and before he knew it, was also fast asleep.


	3. A Mysterious Discovery

Author's Note - OMG!!  BWAHAHAHA, yes I am ALIVE.  Wow, I am SO SO sorry this took so incredulously long.  You guys probably gave up on me, lol…  But I have prevailed!!   *sigh*  Just between school and all my other fics, and being an entirely lazy teenager, I've been having a lot of trouble finding time to write anymore, but here it is.  The chapter's a bit short, and I'll warn you now, I've begun a change in style and structure for this story that I think will be a lot more effective.  Hehe, so I hope you enjoy!  And don't worry, I've already got some work done on Chapter 4 too, muwahaha.  Oh, and I started a web page, so if you're interested, check it out!  There's not much there yet, but I'm workin' on it.  The address is http://www.geocities.com/climhazzard_21/.  But anyway, I'll finish this author's note up and let you read, hehe.  And if you like this chap, please review!!

Chapter 3 – A Mysterious Discovery

W_hat is that…  Am I, dreaming…?_

Zett frowned, sitting up in bed and looking out the window.  But, she couldn't tell whether or not she was awake or still asleep…  Everything seemed so still, so un natural.  Zett frowned as her legs started to seemingly move on their own, pulling her up out of bed.  They took her across the room where she pulled on her black Gi, heading after to the window.  She opened it in a smooth liquidated motion and hopped out, heading towards this strange pull that was driving her forward.  She had no idea what it was, but it was so strong… 

Losing all comprehension of time, all Zett knew was when she had reached her destination.  She knelt down on the ground and felt around in the dark, her hands quickly coming upon what they had been unconsciously looking for.  A strong surge of power rushed through her as she clutched the item tightly, silently turning around and heading back in the direction she had come…

"Hey!!  I hate to wake you, but you'd better get out of bed and get to the kitchen if you want any breakfast!  You only have about 10 minutes before Vegeta gets down there and inhales it all!"

Zett groaned as she listened to Bulma's footsteps recede down the hallway.  She had had a terrible night… And such an odd dream… 

She paused, her eyes widening as she realized she had something, held firmly in her fist.  She looked down with a curious and somewhat worried apprehension as she began to slowly open her hand.

I _wasn't dreaming?_

She frowned and studied the object resting on her palm.  It was a clear stone, perhaps crystal, shaped roughly in the form of a heart.  But there was something about it…  It was almost radiating with some kind of energy, Zett couldn't put her finger on what it might be, but simply holding it made her feel stronger…  She sighed, playing with it in her hands, not quite sure what to make of it.  But either way, she decided she would keep it.  Perhaps she could make it into a necklace or something.  And as for the power it seemed to contain… Was that some property of this world?  Well, she wouldn't question it if it helped her out during the tournament; maybe give her some sort of edge.  Even if it was a psychological edge.  She just couldn't get over how intriguing it was…

"Hey!!  You coming!?"  Bulma called from somewhere at the bottom of the stairs.  Zett jerked her head up as the door started to open, closing her hands around the gem.  Bulma peeked her head in slightly.

"Hey, you decent?  Good.  Hehe, are you gonna come downstairs or not?  I thought maybe we could chat a bit, you know, girl talk!  Besides, I'm really dying of curiosity and would like to get to know you a little better, if that's okay.  So hurry up and come get something to eat!!"

Zett smiled and nodded, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.  "Sure!  I'd love to, just give me a few minutes to get dressed."

"Oh!" Bulma declared in sudden remembrance, hurrying out the door and reappearing a few moments later, "And here.  That armor must be so annoying!!  And that tight Gi… I don't know how you Saiyans do it.  You and Vegeta should take some tips from Goku and Gohan.  They know how to dress comfortably."  She placed a pile of clothes on the edge of the bed and nodded knowledgeably.  "Feel free to try on any of it.  I hope they fit well, you have really long legs girl!  And try the sweats!  They are to DIE FOR comfy." 

Zett chuckled and studied the clothes, smiling and turning back to Bulma.  "Thank you, I will.  And I'll  be down in just a little bit." 

Bulma grinned and headed out the door.  She stopped in the frame and turned back, winking.  "And you'd better get yourself done up, cause we're going on a tour of Orange Star City today!"

Vegeta shook his head as he munched on his toast, shoveling some eggs into his mouth at the same time.  "I don't know why you're so excited Onna.  It's not like you haven't gone shopping before."

Bulma raised an eyebrow, flipping the page of the newspaper she was reading.  "I know that.  But it's been so long since I've gotten to just 'hang out with the girls.'  Chi Chi never wants to do anything anymore.  And besides, Zett needs to learn a bit more about life on Earth if she's going to be staying here for a while.  And I think I would be a good teacher!"

Vegeta snickered and rolled his eyes, downing some orange juice.  He scowled, looking around and frowning.  "Where's Trunks?"

"He went off to school early today.  Said something about a project he had to finish.  I drove him before you were up."

"Well then, I guess I'll have to meet him later then."

"Zett!"  Bulma clapped her hands together in approval as Zett came into the room, dressed in a pair of loose fitting grey sweats and a spaghetti strap black tank top. 

"You look great!!" Bulma declared, gesturing for Zett to take a seat at the table.  Vegeta raised an eyebrow.  Then again, his wife always had been the kind of 'Barbie-doll', dress-up and make-up kind of woman.  He sighed, shoving some bacon into his mouth.  Females…

Zett blushed slightly and sat down, accepting a plate of food Bulma had saved from Vegeta for her.  "Thank you.  It's really so nice of you to let me stay.  I promise I won't make a burden of myself."

"Oh nonsense!"  Bulma waved a hand getting up and pouring herself a glass of juice.  "Wow, we're going to have so much fun!!  Oh!  And we'll have to introduce you to the gang!  And my parents! And-"

"Would you give the woman a break Bulma?!?"  Vegeta demanded suddenly, much to the women's surprise as he had raised his voice rather suddenly.  "She's our guest!!  Not a show-and-tell project!"

Zett couldn't help but laugh at this comment.  "Don't worry about it Vegeta, I'd like to meet your friends."

Vegeta scoffed, turning back to his food.  He always had been a little 'anti-social'…

Bulma plopped down in her chair, her face a bright radiance of smiles and happiness.  "So let's hurry and eat!!  Then we can go do some shopping!"

A handsome man with dark bluish purple hair made his way down a sidewalk in the city of Orange Star.  He looked around, almost as if he were trying to feel something in the air about him…  After a few minutes he rushed off again, continuing on his way, his search.  

Passing the glass windows of a shop, he paused staring at his reflection.  He furrowed his eyebrows, flexing his muscles and frowning slightly. 

"I look ridiculous…" 

He sighed, turning away from the store, heading quickly down the sidewalk once again.  Little else seemed to be pressing on his thoughts than this one single task as continued on his way, his bright neon pink eyes piercing the sky.

"I will regain my powers… And then you'll all be sorry…"


	4. Falling For You

Author's Note – Well, here it is, Chapter 4!!*sigh* I am really sorry about how long it takes me to get chaps up…But asides from loafing, work, and having many other fics to write on, things get tough sometimes…But, if you can wait, the chapters will come!So, hehe, hope you like this one.It begins to develop a bit more of the romance aspect of this fic, and also an understanding of the title, 'The Key To My Heart'.So!Enjoy!!And please review! ;)

Chapter 4 – 'Falling' For You

"Bulma??Bulma??"Zett sighed heavily as she looked around the busy sidewalks. "This is just great.Now I've lost Bulma AND my sense of direction…" She looked around, shifting some bags Bulma had given to her to hold in either hand and slumping her shoulders.She couldn't exactly sense her through Ki, since Bulma had the same level of energy as all these other humans.Zett frowned, resting against the brick wall of one of the many stores along that street and fiddled with the small gem she was now wearing around her neck.A jeweler at one of the stores had managed to put it on a chain using some sort of magnetic technology that left the stone completely unaltered. 

Zett lazily rolled it in between her fingers, scanning once again for Bulma.She stood up suddenly as she noticed a woman with short aqua colored hair disappear around the corner. "Bulma?" 

Zett adjusted the bags and took off running in the direction the woman had gone, hoping it was indeed who she was looking for. 

T_hat's it… That MUST be it!!I'm so close!I have to hurry!!!!_

"OW!!" Zett fell backwards onto the pavement as she turned the corner and abruptly collided with someone headed in the other direction.She shook her head and reached for her bags, which had been conclusively spilt all over the sidewalk.She shoved some of the clothes back into the nearest one and reached out, placing a hand on the shoulder of the man she had bumped into.

"I am SO sorry, are you alright??"

Zett paused as the man pushed her hand away and looked up at her irritably."Well maybe you should watch where you're going more often!" He retorted, dusting off his pants and letting out a huffy breath.He was incredibly handsome… and for some odd reason Zett couldn't explain, it was like something was pulling her towards him…

"What?" He asked, studying the serious expression on her face.He rolled his eyes and got up, holding up his hand to help her.She took it silently, pulling her bags up also.

"Now," The man continued, "If you'll excuse me, I'm in a bit of a rush." With that, he started to push past her, but froze solid as he noticed what she was wearing around her neck.

"Th-that's it…I've FOUND IT!!" 

Zett let out a surprised squeal as the man lunged towards her, knocking them both back down, sending people jumping out of the way. 

"HEY!!"Zett yelled as the guy tried to get a hold on her necklace, "What do you think you're doing!?"

"Listen, I – Ow!" The man spun around as an old woman whacked him upside the head with her purse. "You hoodlum!!" She declared, hitting him again, "Leave the young lady alone, you hear?!" 

Zett chuckled slightly at this and gestured for the woman to stop. "It's alright Ma'am, I'll deal with him, but thank you."The woman frowned, but nodded, continuing down along her way.The crowd also departed, now assured that nothing was wrong.Zett sighed, shoving her necklace into her shirt before the man turned around again. She jumped to her feet, offering this time to help HIM up.He accepted with a look of embarrassment and grabbed her arm.

"Listen, I won't hurt you if you just give me that pendant!" 

Zett chuckled, grabbing his other arm and squeezing slightly. "Won't hurt 'me'?Listen buddy, I think I'm the one you have to worry about…"

Cell cringed slightly as the woman squeezed his arm.It was then he realized that she also had a great amount of power radiating from her, along with the power he sensed from the crystal.She was definitely stronger than she looked, and unfortunately, without his powers, Cell was no tougher than any of these weak humans… What was up with this chick!It felt like she was about to break his arm!!Definitely not a pushover…He would have to come up with a more clever plan to get the necklace away from her…

"Ahhhh!But of course.Please, forgive me, I just, your necklace.I was wondering if I may persuade you to sell it to me, it truly is a beautiful piece.I've been looking for one just like it."

Zett raised a suspicious eyebrow at this.For some reason she didn't understand, the thought of losing the pendant angered her.It was like it had some kind of hold on her…However, another unexplainable force kept drawing her towards the man, and she suddenly felt a great longing to know him…She shook her head, released the man's arm, and crossed her arms, looking him up and down."Well you know, you don't exactly have the best approach for convincing people to see things your way.If you're going to use brute force, you need to have the strength first." Zett faltered a bit as she said this.True, she didn't sense much Ki from the man, but he was extremely muscular and well built.Probably stronger than most on the planet…She shrugged, shaking her head again.Either way, she was stronger.

The man repressed what may have become a growl and plastered on a smile."True, true indeed.But, do you believe there is anything I could do to make you change your mind about selling me that piece of jewelry?" 

Zett narrowed her eyebrows thoughtfully."Well, maybe I'd like to get to know you first."

"We kind of got off to a rough start, but a friend of mine was encouraging me to get to know some people from Ea- er, around here!And since we were kind of thrown into each other, maybe it was a sign that I was supposed to get to know you!"

Cell laughed internally at the young woman sitting across from him.They were in a small café, sitting at a table near the windows._I can't believe I'm going along with this!!Damnit…Just have to keep focused…I'll get that stone…_

"Well maybe you're right Miss, but if we could just get down to busine-"

"What's your name?"

Cell stopped at the interruption, sighing and considering his answer."Well, uh, it's Cell."He smirked.That would give her a bit of scare if she remembered anything about the Cell games…

"Well, that's an odd name.But I like it.Mine's Zett, by the way."

Cell nodded and shook her hand, becoming more and more impatient by the minute.She obviously didn't make any connection with the name.But with the power he sensed from her, he really had to wonder if she was even from this planet at all.

Zett grinned.She had always been outgoing, liked meeting new people, and she especially didn't mind the fact that the man she was 'meeting' happened to be quite the hottie…Almost completely forgetting about Bulma, she gestured to the menu and tilted her head at Cell."Would you like something to drink?" 

Cell put on another cheesy grin and nodded, waving a hand."Whatever you're having will be fine.Now about the neckl-"

"So, where were you off to so fast, if I might ask?"

Cell gritted his teeth, harboring a somewhat burning anger that was beginning to grow out of his impatience."Well I suppose I was just in too much of a hurry, that's all.I tend to rush things often."

Zett continued to talk, but Cell was not really paying attention.His eyes were set on the visible raised fabric where the necklace lay under Zett's tank top.He began to devise ways in his mind of how he might get it, grab it then take off before she could retaliate.If he could only break it before she got to him, she'd be no match for his renewed power and strength…However, it seemed his opportunity would not be for a time yet, as Zett suddenly recognized someone who had come up to the table.

"There you are!!I am SO sorry I took off like that, but I just remembered- Oh!" Bulma stopped, winking and nudging Zett's shoulder as she noticed the good-looking man sitting across from her. "Looks like you've been keeping busy while I was gone at least.Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Zett smiled, gesturing for Bulma to sit down."Sure Bulma!We kind of just ran into each other while I was looking for you.His name is Cell."


	5. Trusting Betrayal

Author's Note – I'M ALIVVVVE!  You were really beginning to wonder huh??  God, I am SO sorry about how long this has been… Lol, you've probably given up on me by now… But hey, I FINALLY did it.  Writer's block is a terrible thing, but I have been working hard to get over it and think I may have finally broke the ice back into this fic!  So, for any of you still hanging in there and reading, I hope you enjoy the chapter!  I'll try to get the next one out a HELLA lot sooner.  Happy readings, and if it's not too much trouble, please review ^ ^!

Chapter 5 – Trusting Betrayal 

Bulma took a step back at the name, a strange light filling her eyes.  Memories started playing in her mind at the mention of that name…  Zett frowned as Bulma quickly shook off the glazed look on her face and regained her composure.

"Everything alright Bulma?"

"Oh! Yes… I just, well, there was someone else with that name who…" She stopped, smiling and waving a hand. "Oh, it's nothing, just an odd coincidence.  It's nice to meet you Cell."

She reached out her hand to shake his but received only a nod in return.  He paused however and examined her for a moment, quickly placing a recollection of who she was.  _This woman…  Is the wife of Vegeta.  If the girl knows them… does that mean that the power I sensed from her…could she be…??_

"Well hey!  I'll be right back all right?  I just have to run to the bathroom real quick!" Bulma explained as she placed her bags on the seat beside Zett and winked. "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone!"

Zett laughed as Bulma headed around the corner and turned back to Cell.  He seemed slightly preoccupied however, lost in thought.  She tilted her head, watching his deep pink eyes for a moment before waving a hand in front of him to catch his attention.  "Hey, are you okay??"

Without a word he stood up and walked slowly around the table.  She followed his movement as he made his way around behind her, placing his hands on the back of her chair.  She waited apprehensively, hoping he wasn't planning on trying to make some kind of move for the necklace.  _What is he up to…?  And why isn't he replying?  _He was obviously planning something, and the suspicion of the whole situation was continuing to grow.  However, she wasn't at all prepared for what he did next.

"HEY!!"

Zett jumped up out of her chair, bright red as Cell shoved his hand down the back of her pants.  Spinning around, she suddenly realized why he had done it.  She looked down slowly to see her tail clenched tightly in his fist.

"Beg your pardon Miss,' He hissed, "But you're not exactly human are you?"

With a quick embarrassed huff, she snatched her tail out of his grip, shoving it back inside her sweats.  But before she could comment, he placed his hand firmly on her shoulder and smirked, leaning down to meet her eye level.

"You were not here seven years ago…Saiyan."

Her eyes widened as he said this and her brow creased as she looked towards the door.  They had already drawn enough attention; it was time to find somewhere a bit more private.  Gesturing for him to follow she quickly headed outside.  The bell on the door jangled softly as they left, turning quickly around the corner into a small ally.  She pushed him against the wall, still a little unsettled by the tone that had been in his voice when he had uttered the name of her race.  She knew for a fact that the existence of Saiyans was not well known on Earth, so this man must have had some kind of connections with either Vegeta or one of the others…

"Sorry about that!  I just had to freshen up, but-"  

Bulma stopped as she reached the table to find nothing but shopping bags.  Doing a complete 360, she scanned the restaurant, but the other two were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh!"

 She threw herself down onto the seat and pouted, watching as the waiter placed the drinks Zett and Cell must have ordered on the table.  Picking one of the glasses up, she downed it in one shot.  Placing it down with a thunk she sighed, resting her chin in her hands. "Why does everybody always forget about me?!"

"And what do you know of Saiyans?  Who exactly are you anyway, Cell?"

He grinned and straightened his shirt.  "Alright, I agree.  Any more of that pathetic small talk would have killed me. I-" He paused, the corner of his lips pulling up even more before his face became rather convincingly serious. "I know some of the other Saiyans living here.  Goku Vegeta…and 'Gohan'." He placed his fist behind him so she wouldn't see it clench.  "I helped them fight seven years ago.  The planet was in danger."

Cell grinned at his own incredibly intellectual mind.  A perfect story, and it wasn't even really a lie!  He HAD helped them fight… he just didn't mention they had been fighting against him.  Minor details, minor details…

This girl seems the kind to trust too easily.  With my clever story, and abundance of charm, I'll have her handing over that pendant in no time…

Zett stood quietly for a moment, processing the information.  Could he be lying?  Not many people could have known OF Vegeta… let alone his name.  Maybe Cell was telling the truth!  Maybe he was one of the friends that Zett was going to meet along with the others… There were just a few things that seemed a little misplaced…

"You say you helped them fight…" She began carefully, studying his expression for any hint he might have been making up stories, "However, I sense no Ki from you…"

He nodded quickly, holding a hand to his head, a pained look on his face.  "Yes, I'm afraid that during the battle, the enemy used a special technique to remove my Ki.  He placed it in that stone that you wear around your neck!  I've been searching desperately for it…  This is the reason I have been so adamant on getting it from you… I'm so terrible sorry I was unable to tell you this in the first place, but you must understand."

Zett nodded at this, her hand slowly moving to the pendant around her neck.  His story would explain a lot… including the reason she had felt such a powerful energy radiating from the stone.  But if this had all happened seven years ago… why had it taken him so long to find it?  Certainly he must have wanted it back as soon as possible…  And he must have been able to somewhat sense Ki…  There was just something that didn't fit quite right to the story, but she wasn't sure exactly what it was.

Maybe I'm just paranoid… 

Cell coughed, breaking the silence, and gave her a somewhat pleading look.  Taking a step towards her, he smiled warmly. "Now that you know… Do you suppose I could have the pendant back?  It would help me greatly, I'm sure a talented Saiyan warrior such as yourself would be able to sympathize…"

Zett sighed as she removed the stone from around her neck, holding still tightly in her hand, reluctant to give it up.  Maybe she should wait… Just in case.   She could bring Cell back to Vegeta with her, and have him confirm the truth of his story.  Then, if he was lying, then she would be able to keep the pendant…

She just couldn't explain it, but part of her desperately wanted to keep the beautiful jewel…

And another part desperately wanted to give it to him.

Cell could feel his body beginning to shake with excitement as she took off the necklace.  Yes… yes if she fell for this, it would only be a matter of seconds till he regained his true and perfect power…  His vision locked on her hands, he felt a sweat drop roll down along his forehead as he tried to calmly wait for her to hand it to him.

Come now my dear…  

His eyebrows narrowed, his lips pulling up in an evil smirk as her arm began to move forward.

_Only moments now… and then I'll show you…_

_I'll show you what I'm truly capable of._

__


End file.
